Pubdate: Mon, 15 Jun 2015
Source: Standard Freeholder (Cornwall, CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Cornwall Standard Freeholder
Contact: http://www.standard-freeholder.com/letters
Website: http://www.standard-freeholder.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1169
Author: Franklin Thompson
Page: A6

HEMP OIL WORKS

I am pleased to hear the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada 
on the expanded rules for use of marijuana or hemp for medical purposes.

Many people do not want to take marijuana by smoking itk, which the 
present law requires, so it would be more sensible to have it 
available as hemp oil which has been shown to reduce epileptic 
convulsions in children and alleviate pain in cancer patients and 
increase their appetite.

The Supreme court has seen this logic, but unfortunately Ms. Ambrose, 
the Minister of Health, and Mr. Harper have not.

The Chinese were using cannabis, also called hemp or marijuana, as a 
medicine thousands of years ago (Nat. Geographic, June, 2015). The 
two main species of Cannabis are Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. 
The sativa species has a higher level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) 
which affects the brain more and gives the "high" feeling. The indica 
species has lower levels of THC, but higher levels of another drug, 
CD (cannabidiol) which does not cause the 'high' but dulls pain and 
may alleviate cancer.

There are many other compounds and chemicals in the hemp plant which 
may act synergistically with CD or THC to promote therapeutic effects 
in patients. This is why the whole plant must be used as a treatment 
or the extracted oil from the leaves or buds (not seeds) which have 
all of the essential chemicals required for medicinal use against 
chronic pain, convulsions, cancer and neurological conditions.

Smoking the weed is a bad option, because like smoking tobacco, there 
are harmful chemicals in the tar residue which affects the lungs. 
Ingesting the plant as a tea or foods made from the leaves, and 
flower buds, or the oil extracted from the same is more sensible for 
use as a medicine.

There has been a recent scientific study which gathered data and has 
shown statistically that heavy pot smokers did not get lung cancer 
compared to heavy cigarette smokers. In fact heavy marijuana smokers 
it appeared did not get other types of cancer either. So why do our 
governments deny research into the cannabis plant as a drug? Is it 
because of the heavy lobby of the commercial drug industry at large?

People who suffer from chronic pain, e.g. fibromyalgia, cancer, 
epilepsy, etc. should be allowed to take hemp oil as a therapeutic 
drug if they wish. For medicinal purposes, this should be prescribed 
by an M.D. This just makes common sense.

Franklin Thompson

Cornwall
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom